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March 26, 2011

No, not these guys.While they certainly provide a lot of excitement and a pleasant diversion for the evening, hockey players are not what I am referring to. These are not my Heroes of the Ice.

The guys on the Zamboni, now that’s a different story. It’s a slow motion, beautifully scripted ballet as these machines skillfully glide across the arena and manicure the ice. It’s as if Brian Boitano and Kurt Browning grew monstrously fat and had ice scrapers welded to their ass.

The Zamboni Effect. Where once there was turmoil and pain in their path, all is smooth and calm in their wake. A gentle answer may turn away wrath, but a Zamboni restores fast ice.

I may change my name to Tony Zamboni.

Zamboni, there's just no limit to the entertainment.

It's almost impossible to have a bad day on a Zamboni when you leave the ice as smooth as a baby's behind.

March 25, 2011

On March 22, 2011, U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg (Dumb ass - NJ) made the following comment regarding conservative Republicans and members of the Tea Party who want to strip away federal funding from Planned Parenthood:

"They don't deserve the freedoms in the Constitution, but we'll give it to them anyway."

Ever now and then I want to scream "Oh Really?" just before I rip somebody's lungs out through their sphincter. Someone needs to staple copies of the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution to this drooling idiot's forehead.

Just how smart is too smart? Thisis just about as close as you can get:

A 12-year-old child prodigy has astounded university professors after grppling with some of the most advanced concepts in mathematics.

Jacob Barnett has an IQ of 170 - higher than Albert Einstein - and is now so far advanced in his Indiana university studies that professors are lining him up for a PHD research role.

The boy wonder, who taught himself calculus, algebra, geometry and trigonometry in a week, is now tutoring fellow college classmates after hours.

This scary and embarassing. Just how much does a 12 year old know, no matter how smart he is? And do I want him telling me how he thinks the universe was formed by cobbing together a formula?

Jake was diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome, a mild form of autism, from an early age.

His parents were worried when he didn't talk until the age of two, suspecting he was educationally abnormal.

It was only as he began to grow up that they realised just how special his gift was.He would fill up note pads of paper with drawings of complex geometrical shapes and calculations, before picking up felt tip pens and writing equations on windows.

By the age of three he was solving 5,000-piece puzzles and he even studied a state road map, reciting every highway and license plate prefix from memory.

By the age of eight he had left high school and was attending Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis advanced astrophysics classes.

There are those who maintain that an IQ test measures nothing more than your ability to take an IQ test. But still, this is one smart kid.

There are currently three active theaters where American GI's are in harm's way. Two of these actions were authorized by Congress under a prior administration and there is no authorization for the military action in Libya. He diddled and farted around for weeks while the pot boiled; now it's even more of a mess as the coalition souffle appears to be going flat.

A new Reuters/IPSOS poll released today reveals a striking lack of public confidence in President Obama’s ability as Commander-in-Chief, with just 17 percent of Americans describing his leadership as “strong and decisive”, compared to 36 percent who believe it is “indecisive and dithering”. This should come as no surprise as the Obama administration floundered for several weeks before even committing to international efforts to rein in Colonel Gaddafi.

This reminds me of Michael's Corleone's words to Tom Hagan in "The Godfather." Hagen asks why he is "out" and he is told: "You're not a wartime consigliere, Tom."

Obama, you are a terrible President and you're even worse as a wartime President.

March 24, 2011

No doubt about it, she was a beauty.Talented? She was no Katharine Hepburn but neither was she a Marilyn Monroe.Her personal life was chaotic, married eight times to seven men.Like so many other celebrities, I think she was very wealthy and very unhappy.

There is now evidence that the SEIU planned to destroy the American economy in order to impose a wealth distribution oriented, socialist government. These people are evil. This union needs to be broken up like the baby Bells and its leaders imprisoned. From Business Insider:

A former official of one of the country's most-powerful unions, SEIU, has a secret plan to "destabilize" the country.

The plan is designed to destroy JP Morgan, nuke the stock market, and weaken Wall Street's grip on power, thus creating the conditions necessary for a redistribution of wealth and a change in government.

The former SEIU official, Stephen Lerner, spoke in a closed session at a Pace University forum last weekend.

Lerner is a former high ranking member of the SEIU who ran several campaigns targeting Wall St. institutions and other citadels of capitalism. He is completely committed to the forced redistribution of money that doesn't belong to him but should belong to him because he has two stinking armpits and a butthole. That's reason enough for a socialist. Someone captured his conversation at a forum where he expounded on the efforts his union will make to destablize America during this financial crisis.

How is this socialist agitator going to do this? Through the unions, community organization groups and old fashioned civil disobedience. We are seeing this now where squatters simply occupy a dwelling and refuse to leave. SEIU sends their union thugs into banks to disrupt them and assault people who protest their actions. Lerner is calling for people to stop paying their mortgages. He wants activitists to disrupt stockholder meetings. He wants students to renege on their loans. And he wants it all to start this May.

"if we really believe that we are in a transformative stage of what's happening in capitalism, then we need to confront this in a serious way and develop really ability to put a boot in the wheel, then we have to think not about labor and community alliances we have to think about how together we are building something that really has the capacity to disrupt how the system operates" ...

"We have to think much more creatively. The key thing... What does the other side fear the most - they fear disruption. They fear uncertainty. Every article about Europe says in they rioted in Greece the markets went down" ...

These socialists - hell, commie terrorists is what they are - want to take our world and turn it upside down for their own purposes. They will not hesitate to use violence just as they did in Russia, China, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos - and they are using the same tactics in our own nation.

Every nation the communists touch is transformed into a prison. "Madison" should be a rallying cry, a call to action just like Pearl Harbor, Concord, Lexington and Bunker Hill.

There are over 100 million corpses piled at the feet of Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot and others but it isn't enough. It never is. Just as Hell has an insatiable appetite for souls and Michelle Obama craves ever more designer shoes, communism is also never satisfied. It is time to take the thug unions down.

But forget about the Feds doing it. They won't touch the Black Panthers and they won't touch the unions either. Obama and Holder are cheerleaders for institutionalized thuggery.

Instead, write your Congressman and have him start a Congressional inquiry into SEIU and other thug unions. Contact your Governor, your State Attorney General and use your state's criminal justice system to shine the light on these roaches. But we cannot be still and do nothing.

March 22, 2011

The International Crisis Group is fifteen years old, 50% funded by governments (they don't list which ones but looking at the 'testimonials' from world leaders, probably most of them) with the rest from individual/corporate donors and institutional foundations.

What began with two people in a small London office in 1995 (funny how so many of these roads lead back to UKplc isn't it?) has grown to "130 permanent staff, 49 nationalities speaking 47 different languages and around 20 consultants and 40 interns" - all scattered around the world with its international headquarters in Brussels (where else?)

A few of its cheerleaders are:

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan: ‘a global voice of conscience, and a genuine force for peace’
Ex US President Bill Clinton: ‘in the most troubled corners of the world, the eyes, the ears and the conscience of the global community’
Former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice: ‘a widely respected and influential organisation’
Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell: ‘a mirror for the conscience of the world’
Former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright: ‘a full-service conflict prevention organisation’
President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso ‘a highly influential and inspiring voice in the field of conflict prevention’
Former Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos: ‘an indispensible source of information for governments and a wide range of institutions actively working towards peace and conflict resolution’
Former US Special Representative for Afghanistan & Pakistan, the late Richard Holbrooke: ‘a brilliant idea ... beautifully implemented ."

The Group was initially led by Morton Abramowitz (former US Ambassador to Turkey and Thailand, then President of the Carnegie Endowment for Peace), Mark Malloch Brown (later head of the UN Development Programme, UN Deputy Secretary-General and UK Minister), and its first Chairman, Senator George Mitchell.

The Board is co-chaired by Lord (Christopher) Patten, formerly EU Commissioner for External Relations, Governor of Hong Kong and UK Cabinet Minister; and by Ambassador Thomas Pickering, former US Ambassador to the UN, Russia, India, Israel, Jordan, El Salvador and Nigeria and Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, and former Senior Vice President for International Relations at Boeing. Their President and CEO has been, since July 2009, Louise Arbour, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and Chief Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda. She succeeded Gareth Evans, former Foreign Minister of Australia (1988-96) and a member of many international panels and commissions, who served as President between January 2000 and July 2009.

Well, I'd say they've been doing a pretty lousy job of it so far. I can't remember a time when there was so much conflict around the world. In fact, if I were a conspiracy theorist, I'd say they're actually doing the opposite of what they claim. I'd like one of them to explain to me how they have the gall to claim they are a non-governmental organisation when so many ex-Ministers, ex-Ambassadors, ex-Commissioners are on its $17m pa payroll and they're (only overtly) part-funded by governments.

In case you're thinking, 'well, it could be worse, at least she hasn't mentioned George Soros yet', here it is: George Soros. He's a busy little bee, isn't he? Fingers in all the global pies - more fingers in more pies than a leper in a cookery class (Gene Hunt paraphrased). Take a look at the other things Soros is involved in - World Goodwill and the Lucis Trust, see how the same names and the same stated aims crop up over and over again.

It's these people who've made the world what it is today; they've guided, chivvied, nudged, manipulated, brainwashed and coerced people around the globe. What we get in return is wars, unemployment, worthless paper money, scarcity of food and drinking water, land for food being given over to bio-energy, stupid 'carbon capture' theories, a minefield of statute law and regulation, homelessness, pandemics; we get meddling with the weather (HAARP) and heaven-knows-what going on out in space. In short, we get the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Okay, I realise I'm beginning to sound like a loony so I'll leave it there but think about it.

Actually, I think I'll set up my own small, 2-man office in London and create an unelected think tank that guides global policy and "seeks to resolve conflict worldwide". I can hardly do a worse job and who knows - I might end up with a $17m pa budget, the latest mobile phone, a hand-tailored suit and an expense account. These will be compulsory officewear though:

As I mentioned a few days ago, a Vietnam vet used the title of this post to describe the pilots of Huey UH-1 heliocopters. Without further ado, here is the Medal of Honor citation read by President G. W. Bush describing the actions of one of those crazy sons of bitches:

Captain Ed W. Freeman, United States Army, distinguished himself by numerous acts of conspicuous gallantry and extraordinary intrepidity on 14 November, 1965, while serving with Company A, 229th, Assault Helicopter Battalion, First Cavalry Division Air Mobil (ph).

As a flight leader and second in command of a 16-helicopter lift unit, he supported a heavily engaged American infantry battalion at landing zone X-ray in the Idrang Valley, Republic of Vietnam. The infantry unit was almost out of ammunition, after taking some of the heaviest casualties of the war, fighting off a relentless attack from a highly motivated, heavily armed enemy force.

When the infantry commander closed the helicopter landing zone, due to intense direct enemy fire, Captain Freeman risked his own life by flying his unarmed helicopter through a gauntlet of enemy fire, time after time, delivering critically needed ammunition, water and medical supplies to the Paceeds (ph) battalion.

His flights had a direct impact on the battle's outcome by providing the engaged units with timely supplies of ammunition critical to their survival without which they would almost surely have experienced a much greater loss of life. After medical evacuation helicopters refused to fly into the area, due to intense enemy fire, Captain Freeman flew 14 separate rescue missions, providing life- saving evacuation of an estimates 30 seriously wounded soldiers, some of whom would not have survived, had he not acted.

All flights were made into a small emergency landing zone within 100 to 200 meters of the defensive perimeter where heavily committed units were perilously holding off the attacking elements. Captain Freeman's selfless acts of great valor, extraordinary perseverance and intrepidity were far above and beyond the call of duty or mission and set a superb example of leadership and courage for all of his peers.

Captain Freeman's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

Captain Freeman was shot four times during this action. It wasn't until 2001 that he finally received the MoH. He went to his final reward on August 20, 2008.

If anyone remembers the Mel Gibson movie, "We Were Soldiers," and the Huey chopper pilot portrayed by Greg Kinnear - who flew time and time again into the hot LZ to rescue soldiers - that character was based on Capt. Freeman and his selfless actions.

So here's to all you crazy sons of bitches who signed a big-assed blank check when you raised your right hand and swore to defend the Constitution of the United States. God bless you.

March 21, 2011

While the world is still sorting out how to aid the Japanese in their plight, the mob has already started delivering.

In many cultures, in many places, there is a belief that times of crisis reveal the true value of a person.

In Japan, applying that axiom proves difficult, especially in light of a recent Daily Beast report that Japan's infamous mafia, the Yakuza, are providing tons of vital goods to the earthquake and tsunami relief effort.

The three largest Yakuza groups (kind of like the crime families of the American Italian mafia), have sent dozens of trucks with a few hundred tons of goods to the devastated regions thus far, reports Japan crime expert Jake Adelstein. They've sent everything from diapers to batteries to instant ramen.

While this support may seem antithetical to a criminal ethos, one member said, "There are no yakuza or katagi (ordinary citizens) or gaijin (foreigners) in Japan right now. We are all Japanese. We all need to help each other."

In 1995, Adelstein reports that the Yakuza also provided tons of goods and services following the Kobe earthquake.

Thus far, Tony "Noodles" Nakamura and his cohorts have delivered more aid than the US Navy.

"If smell is a memory nudge, sound is a sledgehammer and for a Vietnam veteran, none is more powerful than the distinctive rotor slap of a Bell UH-1 helicopter. Heard fading in from the distance, it was the war's constant soundtrack and only a Huey's unmistakable wop-wop-wop brings the memories flooding back.

[...] As a military aircraft, the UH-1 was unique for its wide use and its direct contact with virtually everyone in Vietnam. Sure, everyone knew about B-52s and F-4s, but we actually climbed into and flew around in Hueys. In my part of Vietnam, they were just as often called Slicks as Hueys. The origin of the term may be two-fold. Before the AH-1 Cobra appeared in 1967, UH-1s had been fitted with side-mounted guns—improvised gunships. Those without guns were "slick-sided" or just Slicks. The Marine origin of the term may refer to the UH-1's ability to fly without the internal seat frame arrangement, just a "slick deck." Either way, the UH-1 made its mark.

And so did the pilots who flew it. At Fort Bragg, I served under an E-7 who'd been badly wounded and yanked out of an LZ blasted in the jungle by a 500-pound bomb by a UH-1 shot full of holes. In telling this story, his eyes would glaze a little, but one thing he said about the pilots stuck with me: "Those sons of bitches were crazy." He meant that as a supreme compliment and nod of respect and nobody hearing the story would take it any other way."

The initial HU-1, the "Iroquois" (Bell Model 204), was first delivered in 1961. The HU-1 became famous as the Huey and was the Army's initial and most successful turbo-shaft powered heliocopter. HU stands for "Helicopter, Utility" and it indeed was designed to perform a variety of tasks. In 1962 the armed forces adopted a uniform system for designating aircraft and the HU-1 became the UH-1.

The UH-1C was primarily developed as a weapons platform with a more powerful UH-1B turbo engine and redundant hydraulic systems. The UH-1C was eventually replaced by the Cobra during the Vietnam war but was still used extensively. The Cobra has since been replaced by the AH-1Z.

The UH-1N (Bell Model 212) was introduced in 1970 - it's primary advantage was that it was a two-engine chopper. This was a greatly desired safety feature, especially for the Navy and the Marines as these craft would have to traverse stretches of water.

The successors, the UH-1Y and AH-1Z (attack) series have rotors designed to withstand small arms fire, 25% greater lift capability and 50% greater range than the UH-1N. They are able to keep up with other air capable resources that they're supposed to be escorting such as Blackhawk (UH-60) choppers.

The legend lives on, but without the characteristic wop wop wop - the new birds have four rotors instead of two.

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